Cry of the Bewitched (1957) User Reviews

Exotic erotism and voodoo

[Grégoire "Freak" Dubost · 4/10 · 19 December 1999]

Yambao is a charming sorceress, under influence of her grandmother's spirit, greeding for revenge. She leads us thru this story of unusual passion and possession. But the film doesn't stand the pace.. long scenes of chanting slaves, althought sometimes (unvolontary ?) very funny, break the tempo and make us regret what this genre movie could have been

Not what I was hoping for

[bensonmum2 · 4/10 · 11 February 2017]

I'm going to be real lazy here and just copy the plot summary from IMDb - "Cuba, 1850. On a sugar-cane plantation, the master and his wife are happy : they're expecting a child, their slaves are quiet. But tonight, as the full moon rises, the sound of the drums are in the air. Yambao, the grand-daughter of a sorceress killed 15 years ago, has come back.. With her grand-mother's spirit." Much better and more succinct that I could ever have put it.

Overall, I'll call Yambao a disappointment. From what little I'd read in the past about the movie, it is neither as good or as scandalous as I'd been led to believe. I'd call it a fairly lame, predictable melodrama with way too much dancing, drumming, and chanting. Star Ninón Sevilla is the one bright spot. I'm not familiar with her other work, but here, she really gives it her all. Sevilla shines in every scene. She's a naturally sensuous woman and conveys that sensuality in her every move. The script here, however, lets her down. Co-star Ramon Gay is too bland to give her much to work with. A real disappointment.

Bewitching cries.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 5/10 · 20 October 2019]

Continuing to take part in the ICM Horror,and Latin America Challenges, I took a look for a non-Gothic Horror from the Mexican Horror titles I've got waiting to be viewed. Taken by enticing screen shots online, I listened out for the cry from the bewitched.

View on the film:

Filmed on location under a roasting Cuban sun, director Alfredo B. Crevenna & cinematographer fire up a scorching hot atmosphere in the sugar plantation, flaming up in stylish wide-shots spanning Yambao performing voodoo rituals. Whilst treating voodoo with some level of respect (no scenes of chickens being killed!) the screenplay by Julio Alejandro and Julio Albo sadly does not match the simmering mood Crevenna casts, by being rather dry, as Yambao arriving with the spirit of a murdered sorceress brings little growth in tension to the plantation.

Surprisingly appearing naked, stunning Ninon Sevilla brings the film to life with a excellent performance, hypnotising the viewer with the swing of her hips in lively dance numbers, being matched by Sevilla bringing out a passion to Yambao's sways of revenge on the cry of the bewitched.

steamy passions and evil brew.....

[ccmiller1492 · 7 July 2012]

Steamy passions and evil brew on a Cuban sugar plantation in 1850 Cuba. Fifteen years after the execution of an evil black witch, her daughter, (who has been trained in the black arts and subjugated to her crippled grandmother's hatred and plot for revenge) becomes severely conflicted when ordered to kill man she loves, the married Spanish master who freed her. The evil forces unleashed when thwarted finally redound with disaster upon they're perpetrators. A colorful and interesting period piece which is more credible than a mere horror film. Recommended for an unusual story line and the stirring setting with the many Afro-Cuban ethnic sequences portraying slave life in the region of that time and place.

Disappointing potboiler

[JohnHowardReid · 2/10 · 27 July 2009]

Unfortunately, Ninon Sevilla was induced to reprise her "mulata" in the ill-conceived, poorly directed (Alfredo B. Crevenna) Yambao (1957). Aware that Pedro Armendariz had done his best to steal her limelight in "Mulata" (1954), Ninon was delighted with second-rate co-stars Ramon Gay (from the Aztec Mummy pictures) and Senorita Durgel, with whom she had worked harmoniously in Crevenna's 1956 "Amor y Pecado". So the accent is firmly on Sevilla all the way. Alas, she proves a huge disappointment. The film's poster lists seven songs and dances, but there seemed more a like dreary dozen to me. All but one are total write-offs, while the one that is mildly pleasant has nothing to do with the movie and seems to have been added as an afterthought. Not that the foolish, half-baked story with its copycat echoes of far better films like "Chloe" is any more entertaining. And as for the acting, the word "puerile" comes readily to mind, even to describe the exotic Sevilla herself who way overdoes the eye popping, teeth gnashing and similar amateurish histrionics. What's worse, she disappoints her fans by confining her dancing strictly to repetitive mambo-junko. We keep waiting for director Crevenna to wake up and realize this dime-store potboiler would play better as a comedy. Alas, he never does, even though Ninon's over-the-top scenery-chewing should have caused lightning to strike.

Horror? Horror!?! I don't think so!

[Aaron1375 · 2/10 · 9 July 2020]

I cannot believe this thing is listed as a horror and then thriller as it has practically no horror whatsoever within its running time. There is witchcraft, but that does not make it a horror when the dead is not rising and there is songs aplenty! Yes, this thing should be listed as a musical first and I will give it the thriller genre, but only a bit. Suffice to say if you like hearing drums and see ceremonial dances this is the film for you! I hate that crap, one of the reasons I do not enjoy the zombie films featuring voodoo as the dances and chants that never really quite resemble song go on forever and the horror lasts seconds. Here we get no horror and the songs go on forever!

The story is a bit all over the place as it is simply filler for the next dance number it seems. Years ago the slaves of a Cuban plantation thought they killed a witch. Her granddaughter Yambao returns to kill the villagers on behalf of her grandmother who resides in a cave and is very much alive! The master of the plantation is more beloved than the Master in Manos Hands of Fate as they truly care about his well being which seems, um, odd. Yambao loves him and he is the reason her heart is not into killing and she soon makes him hers; however, when his wife gives birth to her son the spell is broken! Yambao's grandmother is killed breaking her hold over her granddaughter, at least I thought that is what happened, but she kind of throws herself over a cliff at the end...

The only reason I give this thing a two instead of a one is due to the fact the actress playing Yambao is rather pretty. She is more attractive than the guy's wife to me and we actually see a bit of nudity. I didn't think nudity existed in films in the 50's. There is also one song done at the river that is not too bad and actually has some rhythm as the Yambao and another sing back and forth. This girl is a mystery as she seems to play an important part in the film ,but I missed where they may have explained her.

So, if you want to her very loud and earsplitting songs and drums this is your film! Seriously, that last song I had to cover my ears it got so loud! Maybe that is what they are referring to when they classify this thing as a horror film, because every time this thing gets the slightest bit interesting, here comes a song to shatter what is beginning to resemble a story and more drums and dancing occurs!

Only watch the Rifftrax version

[films-22537 · 2/10 · 12 March 2020]

Yambaó aka Cry of the Bewitched could have been a passable movie if the filmmakers would have played up some of the more theoretically good aspects of the script, the horror or eroticism or they could have reversed course after seeing how terrible the acting was and turned it into a deadpan comedy. Instead they stuck with it and we end up with a boring melodrama. The lowlights are the endless musical numbers and the one highlight would be the unexpected ending.

Stockard Channing Rocks!

[jaigurudavid · 1/10 · 21 October 2021]

The good news is, I would rather see Stockard Channing as the lead in this movie. The bad news is, I'd rather see Stockard Channing as the lead in this movie.

An enjoyably overheated melodrama

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 20 June 2008]

1850, Cuba. The fiery and enticing Yambao (the insanely gorgeous dancer/actress Ninon Sevilla) stirs up trouble on a plantation. She not only gets blamed for a plague that ravages a nearby village (the locals think she's a witch), but also tries to seduce no-nonsense plantation owner Jorge (the solid Ramon Gay). In addition, Yambao does her best to resist falling under the spell of her bitter and vengeful sorceress grandmother. Director Alfredo B. Crevenna treats the lurid story with admirable seriousness and does a nice job of creating a rich and exotic atmosphere. Moreover, the vivid depiction of the small remote sylvan community and its scared, superstitious inhabitants is both credible and intriguing. The occasional nifty music numbers liven things up a lot. Raul Martinez Solares' vibrant color cinematography does the trick. Ditto the lusty and rousing score by Lan Adomian and Obdulio Morales. Sevilla really impresses with her formidable portrayal of the titular character; her dark, sultry beauty, sensuous dancing, and smoldering presence all positively steam up the screen. An entertaining film.

Santera Blues

[EdgarST · 6/10 · 4 October 2014]

I had never expected to hear Ninón Sevilla delivering her lines in English. Although she was dubbed, for the movement of her lips it is obvious that Ninón was saying her lines in English, so I deduced that it was also shot in English for an American version distributed in the United States. I do not know if this version is the only one in color that survived after the vaults of the Mexican national film archive caught fire in 1982 and many negatives and first copies were forever destroyed. Although there is a low resolution copy available in Spanish, it is in black and white, I opted for this foreign version, so the vision of this melodrama, which by itself is already psychotronic, definitely became a weird experience. A while ago I saw Ninón in "Mulata", another film dealing with Santería, but in "Yambaó" there are elements of fantasy: while it is true that there is a respectful treatment of the Yoruba religion (never called "voodoo", as in many American and European films or comments here in IMDb, that make no distinctions among African cults), here we find possessions of spirits and the power of magical brews and invocations. Everything else is natural: prestigious composer Obdulio Morales Ríos wrote the ritual music; musical direction was by Lan Adomian, the Russian-American who wrote the Republican hymn during the Spanish Civil War; and the dances were staged by Rodney, the famous choreographer of the Tropicana cabaret. To reinforce the ethnic-folkloric aspects several Cuban singers are featured: Olga Guillot sings a duet with Ninón, Xiomara Alfaro sings in a funeral scene, and Celina Reynoso plays the landowner's nanny, while there are cameos by popular Paulina Álvarez, the so-called "Queen of Danzonete", and Haitian singer Martha Jean Claude. Also all the dances were shot in exteriors: in fact, almost all the action takes place in open spaces, except for the cave where Yambaó hides with her aunt, the white landlord's hacienda, and the shack where the lovers meet. At first glance it seems that the plot of "Yambaó" takes elements from Cirilo Villaverde's "Cecilia Valdés", known as the national novel of Cuba. But in general what happens in the film is quite common in the island, as well as in most of Latin American countries: in short, it is the typical story of the delirious passion of a mulatto woman for a white man (and vice versa). The cult of the white Spanish man (and the rest of the Caucasian men) is a curious racist introjection. I have never forgotten when a Cuban film student referred to a handsome man he had met, saying "He was so beautiful that he seemed a Spanish man!" This admiration has its complement in a highly favored Cuban cultural trait, which I call "mulattism": the adoration of the mulatto stereotype consists in worshiping mulattoes of both sexes as the epitome of crossbreeding beauty and sensuality. It is very common in the island, where almost all the indigenous people were slaughtered. The drama of the mulatta Yambaó (Ninón) is falling in love with the Caucasian owner and ruler of a cane field in 1850. The woman was raised in freedom by her aunt Caridad, a black slave and santera, who knows about spells, love knots and magic powders. Everybody thinks Caridad died when the previous owner sent her into exile. But Caridad returns with her niece Yambaó and a plan for revenge that will be executed by the young woman: she has to kill the son of the old boss, who is the new owner of the fields (Ramón Gay, who could equally fight the Aztec mummy and doll people, or appear in a drama by Roberto Gavaldón). But Yambaó likes the "whitey"… and Caridad's plan screws up. Here Ninón is far from her best works. She was no longer the slender beauty, wears an unbecoming brunette wig and was directed by a rather gray filmmaker, Alfredo B. Crevenna, who had better luck in other projects. But, of course, Ninón is Ninón and as always she dances with passion, and confronts her opposites with her hands on hips and raising her chin. One enjoys her dance and performance, but "Yambaó" is saved above everything else by its music, dances, singers, landscapes of the Cuban countryside and Eastmancolor.

Overview of "Cry of the Bewitched (1957)"

[amouse-1 · 10/10 · 2 September 2006]

The first (and only) time I seen this movie was back around 1965 or 1966 on an old heavy 13" tube type B/W TV. I have not seen it aired since then. Would really love to find a copy of this movie despite the somewhat vague memories I have of it. I would put this movie in among the other oldies which I'd rate as one of the cult classics! Back in the days of the "Friday late night shockers", this was one of the number of memorable classics I recall. I have to give this a "10" rating, simply because it left such an impression on me. It was fairly risqué for it's time, but compared to today, well, it's pretty tame. Nonetheless, I was captivated by it's presentation. A good rare oldie!

Terrific "B-Movie"!!

[coronado_g · 7/10 · 27 April 2009]

I remember seeing this movie on TV years ago. It made quite an impression on my young mind. Seeing the lead actress writhing in the dirt to cast a voodoo spell was absolutely the best scene. The main character also spends time doing lots of "provocative" jungle dancing that had me staring in amazement. After seeing it on TV, I forgot the title and could never find anyone else who ever remembered seeing or hearing about this flick. Have spent years trying to remember the elusive movie title and just located today (!!) on IMDb. About ten minutes later, I was ordering my very own copy of this terrific B-Movie. I hope the actual movie lives up to my memory!

Demented entertainment on a Cuban slave plantation

[melvelvit-1 · 10/10 · 16 March 2014]

It's voodoo love on an 1850 Cuban slave plantation once a native girl puts a spell on its white master...

Very reminiscent of WHITE CARGO (with a little BIRD OF PARADISE thrown in) only this "Tondelayo" isn't really a bad sort since she's obliged to avenge an ancestor put to death (maybe) for witchcraft but falls for her intended victim instead. The striking color cinematography (which won a Silver Ariel, Mexico's Oscar) vividly captures the sprawling hacienda and its sugar cane fields along with the slaves' endless ululating and uninhibited undulating led by perky Ninón Sevilla as the titular temptress who, at one point, steals the master's clothes and rubs them all over herself until he comes to her in a trance. Yambaó never changes her outfit (a one-piece loincloth and sabertooth necklace right out of ONE MILLION BC) and never gets dirty from all that rolling around on the ground with and without her hypnotized lover (Ramón Gay, billed as Raymond Guy for U.S. consumption). One of the silliest things I've seen in quite some time and I loved every foolish minute of it. A 10/10 in demented entertainment.

Only a Hater...

[gengar843 · 8/10 · 9 December 2010]

There is such a bias these days against anything which hurts feelings. To these people, I say, shove off! It's time we see things for what they are. In terms of this film, what we have is an imitation, I think, of "South Pacific." Oh, don't roll your eyes, just listen. The use of color and location here reminds me of the best musicals from that era. The depiction of 1800's plantation Cuba is terrific. It's to me definitely more of a musical than a supernatural film, but the latter's influence is not lost. In short, there's enough entertainment to keep a non-horror fan occupied, and enough occult to keep that genre's aficionado awake. It doesn't hurt that in the print I viewed Yambao gets naked. So, let this lowbrow review be a clarion call and a warning. Yambao is just fine.